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On any given night and at any given venue in Calgary, there’s one happening, one where local blues, rock, pop, folk and jazz musicians can congregate with members of their communities, while honing their talents, networking and, possibly, building an audience.

For the hip-hop community? Well, to say that opportunities were a little less plentiful would be like saying this part of the world can get a wee bit nippy or that people who watch sporting events are rather partial to beer.

It’s something that organizers behind the monthly event at Ubu Lounge titled 10 at 10: A Showcase of Hip-Hop Beats and Rhymes were keenly aware of when the evening began in September 2011 as more of a straight-up MC show and quickly turned it into something greater, something that’s become a hub for all things hip-hop in the city and helped it nurture and grow.

“When I came here I felt there was a few guys doing it,” says artist, organizer and co-host Beni Johnson, who relocated to Calgary from Fort McMurray seven years ago. “But other than that, there was no place to meet people, to network, get some mentoring, find a studio — all of that kind of stuff.

And they have, both the evening, itself, and those who’ve come to see it as an integral and consistent part of the local scene.

For those unfamiliar with the entire 10 at 10 premise, over the course of the past year and a half it’s become a regular free event that takes place on the first Thursday of every month, although on the very rare occasion and under special circumstances it can change — such as this month, which finds it taking place this week to avoid the first week New Year lull.

As the name suggests, beginning at 10 p.m., 10 local artists get 10 minutes to showcase their skills on an evening that’s eclectic, with a resident DJ and the two co-hosts (along with another, Ryan S.) to ensure that it clips by at a swift and entertaining pace. And rather than simply being a rap battle, they have, over time, expanded it to include all of the aspects of the music, to R&B singers, DJs, producers and everything else that falls under the umbrella.

“When you say ‘hip-hop,’ to one person it’s gangster rap or it’s a negative image,” says Johnson. “But when you say it to someone else, it’s breakdancing and all of these underground elements. What I try to do is showcase all of that. . . . So what you get is this eclectic mix of music that is all hip-hop, every aspect of it.”

What makes it different from your standard jam is that it’s become a very structured affair, with interested participants having to contact organizers through social media weeks, possibly months ahead of time — there’s now a lengthy waiting list. From there, Johnson assembles a good mix of 10 acts of differing skill sets and experience, ranging from those who, artistically, are just coming out of the closet, to others perhaps a little less green who want to “develop their craft and take it to the next level.”

For Stoddart, who’s been involved in the scene for well over a decade, it’s been incredibly eye-opening to see not only the number of artists there are out there, but the calibre of them.

“It’s good,” he says. “A few years ago I would have said whoever’s in Calgary that’s doing hip-hop probably I know them already, and if I’ve never met them, maybe they’re OK. But every month, there’s people (there) where it’s like, ‘I’ve never seen this person before in my life, but they’re on it. They’re good.’

“On any given month, you’re probably going to like the majority of the acts,” Stoddart continues. “And if somebody comes up who’s not your style, it’s only 10 minutes.”

The converse is true, too, Johnson says. “If you love an act, it’s only 10 minutes. So you’ll want to hear more of their music. That’s the whole premise.”

Further to that premise is that members of the community are being exposed to others who may be doing something that they appreciate and perhaps want to collaborate on. Both Johnson and Stoddart say they’ve seen a number of artistic relationships grow from 10 at 10, and it’s something they further foster by making sure one of the 10 slots of every night features a deuces battle pairing a DJ and producer squaring off against another DJ-producer team.

And while the change within the scene members has been inspiring to both men, so, too, has been the reaction from the city’s hip-hop audiences, with them noting that it’s gone beyond simply being aware that the music is being made by local artists to fully appreciating the quality of it and seeking it out.

They point to some of the larger international acts that come through town and utilize Calgary artists as openers, with them once tolerated at best by crowds and now being as much of a draw as the headliner itself.

That, ultimately, has been one of the most gratifying things for the 10 at 10 organizers, the fact that “let’s build” has truly begun.

Or, as Johnson says, “Letting the world know that there’s talent in Calgary by first developing our artists here . . . and then helping the scene grow.”

10 at 10: A Hip-Hop Showcase of Beats and Rhymes runs Thursday at Ubu Lounge (608 1st St. S.W.). It normally runs every first Thursday of the month. Check their Facebook page for artists, dates and updates.

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